Ladakh observes shutdown over Centre’s ‘missing’ draft, new policy push

Ladakh’s Kargil and Leh districts on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) observed a shutdown over the failure of the Centre to release the minutes of a meeting held on May 22, which apparently agreed to a new set of democratic and constitutional guarantees for the region.

Most markets and businesses in Leh and Kargil, the two main towns in Ladakh, witnessed a shutdown in response to a call by the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), among the main civil society groups that engaged the Centre in a dialogue over long-pending demands of Statehood, and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. However, traffic plied normalcy during the shutdown. 

“All important points related to constitutional safeguards and an elected legislative body for Ladakh were omitted from the official meeting record. We refused to endorse the minutes after noticing the omission of key provisions, including safeguards under Article 371 and powers for a proposed elected body in the Union Territory. The Centre is making an attempt to dilute the commitments,” the LBA’s president Tsering Dorjey Lakrook, who addressed a gathering at the Polo Ground in Leh, said.   

Mr. Lakrook also criticised proposals promoting large-scale investments and luxury tourism. The new excise policy had been introduced “without adequate consultation”, he said. “It could encourage alcohol consumption, disturb family and social harmony, and pave the way for outside business interests to dominate the liquor trade in the region,” Mr. Lakrook said, asking why local stakeholders had not been consulted properly before the policy was framed.

Sajjad Kargili, a senior member of the KDA, who attended the May 22 talks with the Centre, said a successful bandh had been observed in Leh and Kargil. “It reflects the growing demand of the people of Ladakh for democratic rights, constitutional safeguards, protection of land and resources, and greater participation in decisions that directly impact their future,” Mr. Kargili said.

The shutdown was also against the recently introduced excise policy facilitating the opening of liquor outlets; the ongoing land digitisation process being carried out without the consent of local stakeholders and adequate consultation; and the proposed privatisation of the Power Department, Mr. Kargili said.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ sub-committee had held “a fruitful meeting about a new set up” for Ladakh, Ladakh MP Haji Hanifa said. “It was agreed to have equivalent power to the legislature, and provisions under Article 371 to safeguard the interests of Ladakh. The dialogue is on these fronts. There is no clear picture on the draft and minutes of the meeting,” Mr. Hanifa said. Besides the minutes of the May 22 meeting, Ladakh also faces a slew of issues and needs immediate attention, he said.

According to the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, the two main civil society groups campaigning for Ladakh’s demands, the Centre on May 22 offered constitutional safeguards under Article 371, instead of the Sixth Schedule, and a legislative body with a Chief Minister for Ladakh. The proposal also offered to enhance legislative, executive, administrative, and financial powers for local representatives of Ladakh, and bring the entire bureaucracy under it.